About me

I'm a distinguished freelance English copywriter, marketing translator, editor and proofreader with over 10 years’ in-house experience at a global leading transcreation company. I provide creative translation from German and French into English, UK English copywriting, localisation, editing & proofreading. I have a natural flair for the English language and pride myself in producing punchy English copy that has the same impact as the source text.

Key skills

• Fluent written and spoken German language skills

• Professional working level of written and spoken French

• Proficient user of various translation, PMS and CRM platforms including Plunet, XTRF, Memsource, XTM, Transifex, Smartling, Across, Lokalise, Crowdin, WordPress and Hootsuite

AREAS OF EXPERTISE: websites, product descriptions, product landing pages, blogs, social media content, PPC ads, app interface copy, emails, taglines, headlines, press ads, videos, banners, posters, brochures, newsletters, press releases, case studies, packaging, recruitment ads

SECTORS: clothing & fashion, lifestyle & homeware, FMCGs, technology, HR/recruitment, leisure & tourism, education, health & beauty, finance & legal, sport, education, environment, energy, transport

Professional experience

November 2017-present

Freelance English copywriter, marketing translator, editor and proofreader for brands such as Google, Amazon, M&S, Selfridges, Tommy Hilfiger, Tinder, Invoice2go, Gumtree, EDF, hp, Louis Vuitton, Made, Bosch, Air France and Starbucks

November 2006-November 2017

In-house English copywriter at Mother Tongue Writers

• CRM, creating regular customer mailouts and email marketing, revamping and maintaining company website and blog

Transcreating French and German marketing copy into English

• English copywriting from brief

• Checking/proofreading transcreations into English by writers, checking for accuracy, spelling & grammar, consistency, presentation and style

• Localising US English copy to make it suitable for a UK audience

• Editing English copy written by non-native-speaking clients

• Proofreading layouts and adapts

• Running the English language team, ensuring that all English work delivered was in line with Mother Tongue’s quality standards

• Creating and continually updating an in-house English style guideline

• Supporting other account managers, including writing transcreation briefs

• Recruiting new English writers and translators, providing on-going feedback

Additional responsibilities at Mother Tongue Writers:

June 2016-November 2017

Head of Talent

• Heading up responsibility for recruitment and account manager training in the UK, Singapore and New York offices – including induction and on-going training

June 2011-June 2016

Senior Account Manager & Head of Training

• Training new account managers, development of a new induction training process

• Carrying out yearly staff reviews, introducing a new appraisal questionnaire

• Presenting to potential clients, including preparing rate cards and completing RFPs

June 2005 to November 2006

Multilingual recruitment consultant at Euro London Appointments

• Managing complete recruitment process, including copywriting job ads, screening job applications, interviewing candidates and testing their language skills

Qualifications and training

Education and qualifications

BSc Translation Studies with French & German (Hons 2.1)

Aston University, Birmingham

Additional training and volunteer roles

Running a community “What’s On” page on Facebook, researching and promoting local events, weekly reach of 11k+, using Hootsuite and Facebook Analytics tools
Language ambassador to promote foreign language learning while at Aston University
Google Digital Garage “Marketing strategy and AI” course
Media Training “Creative Writing in a Commercial World” course
In-house English copywriting course at Mother Tongue Writers
eFinancialCareers “Introduction to financial markets” course
3-day TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course
Co-wrote a book, “The Little Book of Transcreation” (published in 2011) and wrote an article on transcreation, published in the ITI Bulletin in 2014

Experience abroad

Thomas Müntzer Gymnasium (school), Halle, Germany

September 2003-May 2004

English language assistant at a secondary school

Centre de loisirs, Corbie, France

July 2000

Assistant in a holiday centre for French children aged 9-12